High Adventures in the Great Outdoors

Performance Enhancing Gear, Digestive Health and Moisturisation

Alight, are you firmly in touch with your feminine side?

Gird your loins, alpha males – this instalment of “High adventures in the great outdoor” will deal with leggings. Leggings for the male persuasion, i.e. “Meggings.”

Now, Kapow Meggings got some out there variations. We are talking numbers going by names “24 Carats” or “Jake the Snakes” for a reason.

Unless you enjoy being the conversation stopper, a member of Steel Panther or alternatively becoming a conversation piece when you leave the solitary confines of your home, you might want to get started with designs that are less challenging for your retina.

Ok, why wear meggings, you ask?

I use them for workouts and running, specifically in winter, which is where Kapow Meggings’ Performance range comes into play as they are designed for getting as “physical” as Olivia Newton John could hope for.

Compression is the enhanced through NWOBHM spandex and polyester which aid in the stabilisation of muscles while providing support, comfort and durability. I’d go as far as claiming that the Chomablast and High Voltage (Danger, Danger!) variants not only make for a borderline psychedelic, kaleidoscopic fashion statement but they have immensely enhanced my workouts and their outcomes.

Engineered with not only stretchy bits,  but thoroughly reinforced through stitching, and sweat-absorbing technology, plus a neat secret lil’ slimline hip pockets to hold your phone and keys firm whether you’re running, wrestling, or BASE jumping, they are doing the job I’d normally come to expect from heavier duty track pants while not feeling more than a lightweight, second skin.

Did I mention that those ergonomic waistbands and flat seams make them comfortable as to wear as they enable your natural range of motion?

They have proved to be great as a base layer in colder climates as well.

Talking of colder climates – I recently travelled through Tasmania in what is the comparably mild Australian winter. One of the things that aided in keeping my bowels intact was my recent experiment with Apple cider vinegar, a good ole ancient folk remedy claiming to have all sorts of health benefits.

The genesis of Apple Vinegar is not too dissimilar from the process of creating methanol, in that you source some of those round, yellow or red, edible fruits of small trees, crush ‘em, bare the result to yeast, let it ferment the sugars and morph them into alcohol.

Add bacilli to the alcohol solution until the reaction results in acetic acid, which is the main active compound in vinegar and is something that even good ole Hippocrates held in high esteem for its qualities as a preservative and ability to kill pathogens.

Apple Vinegar is your friend if you are struggling with a myriad of ailments, e.g. if you are grappling with high blood glucose, i.e. struggle with diabetes mellitus, either because of insulin resistance or an inability to produce the peptide hormone.

Keeping your blood sugar levels at bay in the normal range by avoiding refined carbs and sugar is not one of the worst ideas in general, but apple vinegar can also have benefits as it significantly lowers blood sugar and insulin responses.

Some claim that vinegar can aid in assisting weight management by increasing the sense of “fullness”, helping your gluttonous self to eat fewer calories and lead to actual pounds lost on the scale.

While it is certainly not a panacea like some people would have you believe, it undeniably has some important health benefits.

Now, how do you get a hold of the stuff in the most feasible manner without a degree in chemistry and going Walter White in your garden shed or making a concerted effort to incorporate it in your cooking?

Well, That Hippie Co’s boutique-y range of natural, vegan and non-GMO products have got you covered in capsule form.

As their name suggests, their credo is based on a foundation of new-age health stuff rooted in old-world wisdom and the honourable dream of contributing to a better universe. Eventually That Hippie Co. got serious about creating a supplements focusing on supporting your gastrointestinal wellbeing and a robust way of life that was not all broccoli and cabbage.

With lots of trial and error, travels around the earthround, diving head first into the latest science and of course, consulting their makers, they found gut-health to be one of the most vital aspects of human health and well-being.

The equation is simple – if your gut is healthy, so is not only your immune system, vitamin and mineral absorbency, metabolism, vitamin production, and hormone regulation.

Insights that spawned the creation of That Hippie Co. Apple Cider Vinegar capsules, which provide all the benefits without having to deal with the tart taste and providing a natural source of enzymes and probiotic organisms to keep my gut in good spirits.

If you are looking for an easy way to incorporate sixty mg of acetic acid into your diet to support your absorption of vitamins, this is the way to go.

Wind, weather, weather skin – skin care.

Skin care.

Ja, babyh, die Haut! Feeling good in your own skin is the essence of true beauty.

We are not getting younger and independently from age, there is always something to battle with from fighting acne when your first pubes appear to eventually the first emergence of wrinkles.

The skin game is always on and at some stage you might want to move from stealing and using your girlfriend’s products, and you know that you are are doing it, to stepping up your habits.

Basics first: Lathering up in the morning does not just aid the process of waking up but helps get rid of dead skin and applying moisturizer seems like the logical next step.

Hydrating is always a good idea – hydration nation through invigoration – along with cutting down on booze, sugar and caffeine as it dehydrates you and staying out of the sun and away from the smokes always sound like the sensible thing to do.

Hard to accomplish?

I hear you.

Getting what you need in terms of Zzzzz’s is something that sound appealing to fix the day’s wear and tear, but in this day and age it seems to get harder and harder to come by, same with a proper diet with ample vegetables and anti-oxidants.

There are no bottles of “Zen” available in your supermarket.

Now, there is not really a need for expensive five-step peels, caviar potions or expensive serums, as some are just a plain waste of money and layering on too many products can actually irritate skin. The key is washing and moisturizing every day and following a few other maintenance basics, for which I found an entity based in Melbourne that ticks the boxes in many departments.

I first came across Salus after attending a show at Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre.

The love affair began after using the soap dispenser in the bathroom and lotioning up afterwards. It smelt and felt amazing.

After the theatre show had wrapped up on the way out, the Malthouse staff handed out samples of Salus products, which held the initial promise and sealed the deal. I was hooked.

Turns out their products do not only feel and smell good, but their formulations are therapeutically active, i.e. botanicals, natural plant extracts pure essential oils without containing any synthetic fragrances, colours, sodium laurel sulphates and mineral oils, they are doing a wealth of good.

The fact that Salus has an eye on sustainability by using recyclable and reusable packaging, including the bottles, does not hurt either.

Favourite of the Salus range have quickly become the Pumice and Peppermint Men’s Soap, which cleanses and refines with its detoxifying black clay, cleansing peppermint and hydrating shea butter. It does a stellar job unclogging pores and smoothing out rough patches.

Yup, let’s delve deeper into territory most men shy away from: Scrubbing and moisturizing.

Salus got this Eucalyptus and Rosemary Purifying Body Scrub, which works a charm in tandem with the Calendula & Shea Butter Hydrating Body Cream.

Confused by the exotic nomenclature and myriad of ingredients? Let’s unpack: The first cleanses, smooth and softens dry skin with its bamboo and pumice components to stimulate cell renewal and restore glow, the latter is a restorative blend to nourish and protect with extracts of shea butter, calendula, sweet almond, chamomile and jojoba.

Sounds like a handful? It really is not. The aforementioned product pretty much cover all bases and can be easily applied on the go, which make them ideal travel companions.

Read previous installments of High Adventures in the Great Outdoors here.

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Lead photo from Kapow website. All other photos by T